This wasn’t wholly without intent, either. As comedian Hari Kondabolu illustrated in his 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu, the character was basically the cartoon equivalent of a modern-day minstrel show. It’s hard to know where exactly to place Apu, considering that he’s the only main character to have been dropped from the show due to evolving cultural standards. The Simpsons could have been a lot harsher in its depiction of organized religion, but Springfield’s Presbylutheranism minister is still a fairly sly condemnation of the church - tedious, judgemental, opposed to “rock and/or roll.” Reverend Lovejoy is a good person, but he’s also the perfect buzzkill (with the exception of that one time when he fought off a horde of bloodthirsty baboons). Reverend Lovejoy was a one-time Christian idealist who eventually gave up caring after years of being pestered by the overly virtuous Flanders. He also makes for a killer Halloween costume, with his catchphrase “Oh yeah!” making him all the more memorable. In the Season 34 episode “From Beer to Paternity,” we learn that he has a teenage daughter, seeing an entirely new side of him. Once just a symbol for 1990s beer commercials, Duffman has gone on to show actual depth within The Simpsons universe. Inspired by this ubiquity, they created Bumblebee Man, a man in a bumblebee costume who has mastered the delicate art of combining physical comedy with beginner-level Spanish.ĭuffman, or Barry, as some of us know him, has only continued to develop as the show continues.

Like many of us during the decade, the show’s writers frequently channel-surfed and found themselves entranced by a Spanish channel with an “always on” Mexican comedic performer named Chespirito and his grasshopper-costumed superhero character El Chapulín Colorado. The rise of Simpsons-mania in the 1990s coincided with the increased visibility of Spanish-speaking cable networks. Brian VanHooker, Senior Features Writer 99 Bumblebee Man What would a list of the greatest Sprinfieldians be without the town’s namesake? Sure, he was a murderous pirate who once threatened George Washington with an ax, but he also inspired his followers with the legendary quote, “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.” He’s Springfield’s own Christopher Columbus, part myth, part horrible monster, so precisely the kind of guy you’d want to steal the head of.

Look a peanut barney simpsons